


Persona: Recompense

by valiantAcquaintance



Category: Persona 2, Persona 5
Genre: Alternate Universe - Jun is a Phantom Thief, Canon-Typical Violence, F/F, F/M, Homophobic Language, Light Angst, M/M, Mental Breakdown, Mental Health Issues, Novelization, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Persona 5 Spoilers, Sad with a Happy Ending, but like in the persona way like in the "im fucked up and crazy" way
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-17
Updated: 2020-10-17
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:54:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,045
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27055252
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/valiantAcquaintance/pseuds/valiantAcquaintance
Summary: Jun Kashihara, a teacher at the up and coming Shujin Academy, never expected to be roped into these kinds of antics again. But fate has a funny way of dragging him back to the past, and this time Jun feels the change in the air. Memories of a timeline long gone haunt his dreams, and it all comes back to that eerily familiar Akira Kurusu.Akira Kurusu, the delinquent transfer to Shujin Academy, never expected to trust another adult again. But the physics teacher at his new school has a way with words, and Akira can’t deny the strange resonance deep in his soul he feels every time they talk. At the cost of everything he knows, he is determined to unravel the mystery of Kashihara Jun.(Spoilers for Persona 5 Royal and both Persona 2 Innocent Sin and Eternal Punishment.)
Relationships: Akechi Goro/Amamiya Ren, Akechi Goro/Kurusu Akira, Akechi Goro/Persona 5 Protagonist, Kurosu Jun/Suou Tatsuya, Other Relationship Tags to Be Added, Suzui Shiho/Takamaki Ann
Comments: 15
Kudos: 66





	Persona: Recompense

**Author's Note:**

> One arrest and lawsuit later, Akira finds himself in the big city. Totally out of his element and angry at the situation that landed him with a criminal record, he finds it hard to adjust. One whole year of being a good little boy, just for the chance to make up for a crime he never committed...the thought made him sick. At least he had school to look forward to.

Akira Kurusu gazed out of the subway window as the train sped along to the station in Tokyo. Skyscrapers that looked as though they could touch the clouds towered over him even now, from far beyond the city limits. The entire landscape looked like a postcard one might find at an airport gift shop that was far too expensive. Akira might have been more excited to see the Tokyo skyline coming into view, but all it did was make his stomach sink lower into his gut, and a blend of anger and anxiety to wash over him. Despite how beautiful it was, Tokyo was essentially his prison for the next year. His parents didn’t want him, and no school in his country hometown did either, so he was shipped to a city he didn’t even know, to attend a school he hadn’t heard of, all while living with some man he could barely remember the name of. The thought alone was enough to sour his mood on the prospect of living in one of the great cities of Japan. He huffed, turning his attention to his phone as the train slowed, pulling up the directions to his new home.

And just as he suspected, Akira had gotten lost within moments of stepping off the train platform. It didn’t help that the people rushing past him in the station made it impossible to stop and read the signs for even a moment without getting pushed around. Clearly, he was out of his element, and without any to guide him, Akira’s mood worsened. By the time he finally got to the backstreets of Yongen-Jaya, his shoulders were sore from bumping into one too many people trying to find the right place to go. Even the districts of Tokyo were little cities in their own right. Akira pinched the bridge of his nose, looking down at his phone to find the name of the person he was supposed to be staying with. He really needed a nap.

It took about twenty minutes longer than he would have liked to finally end up at the cafe his caretaker would be at. Seriously, he didn’t wait at his house on the day Akira was coming in? Akira almost rolled his eyes when the old man - Sakura Sojiro - seemed surprised at his entrance. Not a great start to an already strained relationship. The news of that subway accident blasted on the TV speakers, and there were customers sitting in the booths too. Sakura hadn’t even bothered to prepare for him. Akira had to clench his fist so as to not drag it down his face in annoyance.

“Oh right. They did say that was today.” He said, setting aside the newspaper crossword he had been so engrossed in. The elderly couple at the booth stood up to leave. But there was still one person, sitting at the bar, who seemed entirely content to sit and listen in on their conversation. Akira blinked at the stranger’s back before turning back to Sakura. Sakura thanked them as they walked off, still talking about the subway incident. 

“So, you’re Kurusu?” He asked. Akira nodded.

“Sakura-san?” Akira asked in return.

“I was wondering what kind of unruly kid would show up. You don’t look too bad, I guess. That doesn’t mean I’ll excuse any kind of acting up from you, though. You’re on probation, not vacation. I’m the one who has to check in with your probation officer, so try not to make it any more difficult for me.” As if Akira needed to be told twice. He’d already gotten the lecture from his parents, he didn’t need it from Sojiro, who’s tone was a lot more strict.

“Well, come on. I’ll show you to your room. Follow me.” 

The room he was given was less than appealing, to say the least. Dust was visibly floating in the air around them in large clumps. Bags of trash and storage alike littered the floor. The only things in there not covered in a layer of dust were the mattress and blanket, and the single box of personal belongings sent to Tokyo before him. Mostly it was clothes, a few keepsakes, and some stuff to keep him from getting too bored on days when he couldn’t go out. He knew his living conditions wouldn’t be optimal during his probation, but at this rate he was sure the holding cell he was kept in was more comfortable. 

“You look like you have something to say.”

“It’s...bigger than I was expecting.” Which wasn’t entirely a lie. Sojiro snorted.

“It’s on you to clean the rest. By the way, you’ll be alone every night after I lock up. Don’t cause any more trouble, or I’ll kick you out, got it?” Akira nodded. 

“Good. We’ll be going to Shujin tomorrow. You’re lucky to have found a school that will accept a guy like you, you know. Assault...for what? Some guy bothering some girl? That’s what you get for sticking your nose where it doesn’t belong.” Sojiro sighed. “Regardless, this is how it’s going to be for the next year. I don’t want to hear any complaining, okay? Feel free to do whatever, just don’t get in the way. And don’t make too much noise either. I have customers waiting.”

And just like that, Sojiro went back downstairs. Akira stared at the mess of an attic that would be his home. He opened the box of his own belongings, and immediately decided to change out of the stuffy school uniform. It’s not like he was going anytime soon anyway. He looked around the room again as he pulled out a simple white tee shirt and jeans. He could probably clean a lot better in more comfortable clothes too. With just a bit of elbow grease and hard work, maybe he could make even a storage attic look like a five star hotel.

Or at the very least, three stars.

First things first, the trash. Akira grabbed three of the bags, slung them across his back so as to give it more support (the last thing he needed was the bags tearing and him having to clean up what little had already been taken care of for him), and made his way back to the stairs, only to stop at the conversation he heard below.

“You don’t think you were a little harsh on him? He must have heard that whole speech already from his parents. And in front of a customer too! Sakura-san, have you no respect?” The voice was soft and light, but held a terse tone that clearly showed more disappointment than anger. 

“As if you don’t already know about his situation. Honestly, I don’t appreciate the lecture, Jun.” Sojiro scoffed. Akira wanted to go down and actually watch the conversation - he couldn’t imagine anyone standing up to the stern faced, no-funny-business Sakura. The customer, who must have been the one at the bar given there hadn’t been anyone else in the store at the time to hear their conversation, either knew Sojiro well enough to argue in such a way, or had some serious balls.

“Oh, but if I hadn’t? You know, the kid probably needs a guiding hand. He’s clearly not getting that support from his parents.” A bold assumption, but Akira couldn’t deny it. Even before the incident, Akira had pretty much been raising himself. 

“If you’re so concerned, you could take him, you know.”

“You know why I can’t do that...Ah. But, it’s not my place in the end. Still, consider it. Problem children tend to be less of a problem with the right care. Think of it like the plants you take care of.” The voice hums pleasantly.

“Those are all plastic, Jun.” 

Akira decided then was probably a good time to actually take care of the trash instead of eavesdropping. He pulled the bags up once more and quickly rushed through the cafe, barely sparing a glance towards the two gossiping adults. The man at the bar (he had black hair, covering one eye. Was it 2006 again?) smiled at him as he walked past, but no words were exchanged between them, nor between him and Sojiro. He shuffled back upstairs almost as quickly as he’d come down after depositing the bags in the trash bins outside, deciding to clean what could be taken care of without any more excursions outside for now.

The rest of the night passed without much incident. Akira had listened to Sojiro and the other man (Jun, he told himself, the man who managed to assume a lot about him that wasn’t too far off base just by listening in on a single conversation - how weird was that?) devolved into the mundane, and decided his music was suddenly a lot more interesting. A few hours later, and the attic was mostly spotless. The tables around the sofa and desk still needed to be dealt with, but honestly after the exhaustion of trying to find his way through Yongen-Jaya and the tense interaction with Sojiro, and then the albeit menial tasks that came with cleaning his new room, Akira was just about ready to pass out. He laid down on the mattress, legs hanging off the side, only to sit right back up as he heard footsteps coming back up the stairs. None other than Sojiro Sakura, once more.

“I was wondering what all that racket was. Seems you actually got a lot done.” Sojiro said with a small smile. Akira bit back a snarky retort, resorting to silence instead.

“Alright, I’m locking up for the night. Get some rest now. I’ll be driving you to Shujin tomorrow, but from then on you’re taking the subway, got it?” Akira nodded. “Good. Make sure you’re dressed and ready to go by the time I come back tomorrow morning.”

And just as soon as he came, Sojiro left and Akira was truly alone. He had free reign of the entire shop now, but he doubted Sojiro would appreciate Akira treating the downstairs cafe like his personal home. Fine by him. Akira much preferred quiet nights to relax and read in bed, even at home. As soon as he heard the door lock, Akira truly relaxed for the first time in hours. Sojiro was right about one thing - he had to rest. Fortunately, he’d already set his pajamas aside while he’d been cleaning, and the lack of a closet made it really easy to just toss his clothes on the cluttered couch and call it a day at that.

As he lay in bed, Akira’s mind began to wander to the fateful night that landed him in Tokyo in the first place. It had been dark, too dark for a student to reasonably be walking home, but Akira hadn’t cared before. He’d heard a man harassing some lady on his way to his house, and as much as he wanted to ignore it and walk past, he just couldn’t. He’d jumped to the woman’s defense, telling the man (who he recalled reeking of booze, but he couldn’t remember any specific features beyond that) to leave her alone. He hadn’t even touched him, but in a flash the man had fallen and busted his head, and Akira was the one being blamed for it. Even the woman that drunk bastard had been messing with blamed him! In no time he’d been hauled to the local jail and suddenly served a fat lawsuit that his parents probably resented him for. Coupled with his new criminal record, and they were eager to make him someone else’s problem for a bit.

Akira hadn’t even realised he’d been scowling until his phone rang, alerting him of a new message. He snapped out of his thoughts, shaking his head, and looked down at his phone. Only to find...nothing. No messages, no emails, not even a missed phone call. Just his home screen. Perhaps he was more tired than he thought. Akira sighed and set his phone aside. No use thinking about it too much now. What’s done was done, and Akira couldn’t change that. Especially not with a whole year of probation to look forward to. 

Akira closed his eyes and fell into dreamless sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> Strap in boys, this is going to be a long one. Basically, I have never forgotten how Jun was supposed to be the protagonist of Eternal Punishment. My boy deserves this. But essentially, since adults can finally be allowed persona rights in Persona 5 (god bless you Mr. Zenkichi), Jun can get one too, and no you will not change my mind. Basically in this Jun is in his early 30s-ish, as a teacher at Shujin Academy. There's a lot to come in this story, and it's all going to end with TatsuJun and AkeShu. It may not be the happy ending you're expecting, but I do hope you like it regardless. The plan is 32 chapters, but that's flexible of course. I'm not going to put the number there just yet until it's more solid. Thanks for reading!
> 
> Follow my tumblr @kurosuu for updates and general persona content.


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